eansom



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. BANSOM.

PIGKET FENGE MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 1, 1889.

Ezra Ba wsom N. s-zrzns, Pnumumo m m, wmm wn, n. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. RANSOM.

PIOKET FENCE MACHINE.

No. 395,586. Patented Jan. 1, 1889.

Wl'fwess es:

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.F'z ra N, PETERS. Fhnlwhlllogmpher. Washinglun. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EEICE.

EZRA RANSOM, OF FLINT, MICHTGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TlYO-TIIIRDS TO OREN STORNAND EDlVIN B. lVOODIN, OF SAME PLACE.

PICKET-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,586, dated January1, 1889. Application filed May 15, 1888. $erial No. 273,998. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EZRA RANSOM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Flint, in the countyof Genesee and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Picket-Fence Machines,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in picket-fencemachines; and the invention consists in the peculiar combinations andthe novel construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all asmore fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings which accompany the specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of themachine as in operation. Fig. 3 is a diagram elevation of the machinefrom the opposite side to the one shown in Fig. 2 Fig. +1: is anelevation of one of the rotary twister gear-wheels, showing the means ofconveying motion thereto in detail. 5 is a crosssection on line a: inFig. 4-. Fig. (i is a detached perspective view of the head of therotary twister in which the wire-passages are formed. Fig. 7 is across-section on line 1 y in Fig. 8 is a cross secton on line in Fig.Fig. 9 is av cross-section on line 10 uof one of the tension-wheels.

A is a standard which carries the twisting mechanism, which mechanismsecured to one side of: the standard to form what is known as aside-geared wheel, and this twisting mechanism is constructed asfollows:

E are cast-iron brackets, preferably detachably secured to the standardand projecting laterally therefrom. These brackets terminate at theouter ends in bearings C, in which the rotary twisters are journaled.These twisters consist of the hollow twisters E, journaled in thebearings C and provided with the circumferential gears F, the cogs orteeth of which are skewed, as more fully hereinafter described.

The wire-passages are formed in the head G,detachab1y secured to one endof the twister by means of a bolt, to, which passes through a cross-bar,1), formed within the twister, and by means of the lugs c, which engagewith the sides of the cross-bar 1), whereby the head G is firmly securedto the twister. In this head G the wire-passages d are formed, therebeing preferably two or more sets of such wire-passages for engaging thefence-wires nearer or farther from the center of the twister toaccommodate smaller or larger pickets. There are preferably four ofthese rotary twisters secured to the standard A; but they may be reducedto three, if desired, tov make threestrand fences, and to this end thebrackets which hold the twisters are detachably secured to effect thechange readily. In proximity to the twisters is journaled in suitable bearings, e, the vertical shaft II, and this shaft carries the beveledgear f, which engages with the beveled gear g upon the crank-shaft g, towhich the crank I is secured. From the shaft ll mot-ion is communicatedto the twisters b means of skewed beveled gears J, which mesh with theskewed beveled gears F of the twisters. The object of providing skewedgearing isto enable me to place the shaftllsufficiently to one side ofthe twislerspools to allow the wires to pass freel \'through thetwister-spools without their interfering with the shaft H. The gearsdescribed are preferably made in the form of so-called miter gears, andto effect the ('l'n'inge from four tn sters to three twisters the gearsJ are made adjustable on the shaft 1 I'.

To the upper end of the standard A is secured the picket-guide KY,vertically adjustable to suit higher or lower pickets, and below thisguide is arranged the picket-clamp L, which consists of two spring-clampjaws, h 71., as shown in Fig. 7, wherein the jaws are shown adj ustabl ysecured by means of a clan1pnut, z", to the side of the standard, forthe purpose of adj usting the jaws nearer or farther apart, so that theymaybe adjusted to clamp the varying sizes of picketsin operation andhold the picket in position during the operation of twisting. 5

M are rests adj ustably secured to the standard A, for the purpose ofholding the picket in parallel relation to the standard.

Nis a crossbar or carriage secured to a plate, 0, which plate ispivotally secured to the standard, and which is provided with a slot,7c, through which passes a suitable clampbolt, Z, preferably providedwith a thumbscrew to adjust the cross-bar N to any desiredinclinatioi'l. This cross-bar is provided upon its outer ends withtravelers l and with a handle, Q.

R is a gnhle-rail supported by means of suitable legs, S, upon theground. The lower ends of these legs are preferably provided with theshoes T. The travelers I are arranged to engage with the top of theguide raihthere being preferably a suitable groove cut into the top ofthe rail for such purpose.

The tension is arranged in the follmving manner: In a suitable uprightframe, U, are journaled the shafts Y, and upon each of these shafts issecured. a groove-pulley, \V, which upon one side has secured to it,preferably detachabl y, the friction-disk m, which bears against acorresponding friction-disk, 02, secured to the side of the standard,preferably detachabl y. The shafts V are squared upon one end for theapplication of a wrench, and upon the other side the free end of atension-spring, o, is arranged to press the shaft endwise, so as toproduce a friction between the friction-disks m n, which friction can beadjusted to any desired degree by means of the adjusting screw nut 11.Around the groove of the pulley \V are wound several turns of thetension-wire q, to the free end of which is secured the loose pulley r,and around this pulley the two wires of each strand pass freely, so thatthe same strain is brought upon both wires of each stramhwhile by meansof the wire (1 the tension is applied to such strands.

In practice the operation of the twisting mechanism is like theoperation of similar machines of this class; but the manner of guidingand supporting my machine in operation I consider a great improvement.The guide-rail B may be made of considerable length, so as to require ofits being adjusted or drawn forward only from time to time, as the workof constructing the fence progresses.

The shoes,which are preferably turned up at the ends, allow the deviceto be readily drawn upon the ground, and also prevent the device fromsinking into the mud when building across soft spol s. The cross-head Nforms lateral side supports to hold the machine in perpendicularposition, and to facilitate the vertical adjustment I secure to thestandard a suitable plumb, Y.

By means of the travelers at the end of the cross-bar or carriage N themachine can be drawn readily by the handle Q along the rail, and allside twisting is avoided by engaging the travelers into the groove uponthe rail. It is obvious that the guide-rail serves also to .prevent thesagging of the fence, which always appears where a machine is supportedupon the wires. By securing the cross-bar pivotally to the standard itmay be adjusted to any inclination required to adjust the ma chineperpendicularly when going up or down hill.

The constriu-tion of my tension is also novel in some respects, as itallows the two wires of each strand to equalize their tension, and keepsthe tension always or nearly the same by enabling me to use a wheel, \V,of relatively large diameter, so that any winding of the tension-wire Qdoes not change the leverage, and thereby the tension of the wire, inany appreciable degree.

I deem it important that the guide-rail be arranged so as to support themachine at or near its vertical middle, and thatthe carriage be locatednear the vertical middle, as by this construction the machine is wellbalanced and can be more readily tilted than otherwise.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, with the standardand the bracket B, secured thereto, of the hollow twister journaled insaid bracket, and provided with circumferential gear and with bar I),and a detachable head formed with wirepassages, and having lugs cengaging the bar I), substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the twvister-frame and a carriage pivotallysecured to said frame near the vertical middle of the machine, of aguide-rail independently and movably supported above the ground, and ahandle secured to said carriage, substantially as described.

3. The cmnbii'iation, in a picket-fence machine, of the twist-er-frame,the carriage pivotally secured thereto, the clamp-screw and slottedclamping-plate adjustably securing the carriage to the standard, theguide-rail upon which said carriage is supported from the ground, andthe shoe, substantially as described.

a. The combination, with the picket-fence machine provided with thecarriage, substantially as described, of the guide-rail, thesupporting-legs to the guide-rail, and the curved shoes secured to thelegs of the guide-rail.

5. The combination,with the twister-frame of the picket-fence machine,of the picketclamp L, consisting of the adjustable jaws 71 h andclan'ip-sermv i, substantially as described.

63. The l1ereindescribed tension, consisting of the twister-frame U, thetension-wheel IV, mounted on the shaft V, the friction-disks m a, thetension spring 0, the tension -wire q, and the loose pulley r, the partsbeing com bined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 1st day of May, 1888.

EZRA RANSOM.

'itnesses:

JOHN SCHUMAN, P. M. HULBERT.

